NOT build my own?
Have always built my own PCs, but when I compared a rig I wanted from iBuyPower.com vs. just PARTS at Newegg... it was less expensive.
Looking for a compelling reason to not just buy a custom PC from ibuypower.com
Case ( NZXT Vulcan Gaming Case - Black )
Processor ( AMD Phenomâ„¢ II X6 1075T Six-Core CPU )
Processor Cooling (Liquid CPU Cooling System w/ 92mm Radiator )
Memory ( 8 GB [2 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module Corsair or Major Brand
Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 - 2GB - Single Card )
Motherboard ( Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H -- AMD 880G Hybrid CrossFire Chipset w/8-ch HD Audio, Dual-Channel DDR3, Gb LAN, 2 PCI-E MB )
Power Supply ( 750 Watt -- NZXT HALE90 80 Plus Gold Certificated Power Supply - SLI Ready )
Primary Hard Drive ( 128 GB Corsair Nova Series V128 MLC SSD - Single Drive )
Optical Drive ( 24X Sony Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black )
Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Professional )
3yr warranty
$1658 delivered.
Kinda disappointed that I can't get a similar system off of Amazon/Newegg for less - maybe I haven't tried searching hard enough.
Key components I want: GTX460 or better vid card. 128GB SSD, Phenom II X6 or better processor, nice case (I prefer Vulcan/Antec), decent & modular power supply, decent mobo, 8+ GB DDR3 RAM.
Full disclosure: I haven't built a system in 3+ years. Are systems so cheap now that it no longer pays to build your own?
Looking for a compelling reason to not just buy a custom PC from ibuypower.com
Case ( NZXT Vulcan Gaming Case - Black )
Processor ( AMD Phenomâ„¢ II X6 1075T Six-Core CPU )
Processor Cooling (Liquid CPU Cooling System w/ 92mm Radiator )
Memory ( 8 GB [2 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module Corsair or Major Brand
Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 - 2GB - Single Card )
Motherboard ( Gigabyte GA-880GMA-UD2H -- AMD 880G Hybrid CrossFire Chipset w/8-ch HD Audio, Dual-Channel DDR3, Gb LAN, 2 PCI-E MB )
Power Supply ( 750 Watt -- NZXT HALE90 80 Plus Gold Certificated Power Supply - SLI Ready )
Primary Hard Drive ( 128 GB Corsair Nova Series V128 MLC SSD - Single Drive )
Optical Drive ( 24X Sony Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black )
Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Professional )
3yr warranty
$1658 delivered.
Kinda disappointed that I can't get a similar system off of Amazon/Newegg for less - maybe I haven't tried searching hard enough.
Key components I want: GTX460 or better vid card. 128GB SSD, Phenom II X6 or better processor, nice case (I prefer Vulcan/Antec), decent & modular power supply, decent mobo, 8+ GB DDR3 RAM.
Full disclosure: I haven't built a system in 3+ years. Are systems so cheap now that it no longer pays to build your own?
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Comments
//EDIT: I'm not hot on the NZXT PSUs. They're completely untested in the market. I'm also sketchy on that liquid CPU cooler; it's probably no better than a good air cooler, unless silence is your game.
At any rate, I'll poke around.
I could probably stand to go lower than 128GB. The system would still be cheaper than Newegg.
As for the PSU... I'll look at others. Only used Antec thus far.
PSU, OCZ comes to mind and you already know one of their employees
any specific reason for a 2GB GTX460 over a 1GB?
I realize they are expensive. I was throwing the price factor out and asking if there was any specific reason not to have large SSDs.
The 2GB was a few dollars more, so I figured why not.
Getting something bigger than about 64GB is pretty much throwing money away unless you're damn sure you can use that space.
Nice case that isn't huge (quiet, cool, not a dust monger) ($100)
Proven motherboard (tend toward Gigabytes, but not exclusive) ($125)
Best bang for the buck processor ($250)
Quality SSD for Win7, Photoshop, few other apps. ($175)
8GB RAM ($200)
Quality, modular PSU ($75)
Cheap CD-R/RW / DVD R/RW drive ($25)
Best bang for the buck video card (not to exceed $300)
Not to exceed $1250.
Do it.
(willing to budge a bit on some parts... probably a bit more on a case if needed)
Power: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017
GPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150477
I'd recommend this mobo/cpu combo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.445510
Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227539
SSD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233108
By my calculations, that comes out to 1074.93 which leaves you 175 left over for you to pick out a CD/DVD drive (they're all pretty much the same these days) and take yourself out for a nice steak dinner and a movie.
I used an Intel i5-760 because of its overclocking potential and raw performance. Intel platform will also have the possibility of using GTX460 in SLI. The price comes to 1299 but I had to choose an Antec case+PSU combo and could not add a good CPU cooler. The EA650 PSU is a very decent one with good reviews and Antec 900 is a classic (maybe not as flashy as the latest ones but a good one). Hope this helps.
Just the first benchmark I dug up, but PassMark seems to agree with me. The X6 I put in my proposed built outperforms the i5 in your build quite handily: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=AMD+Phenom+II+X6+1055T
Top that off with the fact that my build is 225 bucks less, and the only one coming in under his stated max price, and I don't see where you have a leg to stand on here :P
Lots of things to consider. Thanks all for the input.
The Core i5 can shut down each core individually, and it has Turbo Boost as well.
SSD - ask Ryder or Thrax
PSU - PCP&C 750w 62A on the 12v rail yum yum. I don't care if you get a Celeron with 1GB ram and a floppy drive, DONT SKIMP ON THE PSU EVAR! OCZ has nice ones also, I'm just biased since I have a 750w and 610w PCP&C PSUs
Don't buy an ASUS motherboard..just don't. Gigabyte, some say ECS, DFI boards are awesome but they quit making them, and I miss my KX7-333R.
There are better cases then the Antec 900|900v2 now. Hades, Vulcan, Phantom and all those overpriced Lian-Li's
RAM: I only support OCZ memory, I'm a biased mofo
and...just for good measure. Crysis
the point I was making, was that the GTX460 does "almost" as good and sometimes better than the 5850 and costs $100 less....and overclocks like a mofo
Case: NZXT TEMPEST EVO http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146062
PSU: OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022
Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-890FXA-UD5 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128441
CPU: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103851
SSD: OCZ Vertex 2 60GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227550
Vid Card: GIGABYTE GV-N460OC-1GI GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125333
RAM: OCZ Gold 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227539
Optical: SAMSUNG 8X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Combo Drive
Grand Total: $1,200.78 (delivered)
Coincidence it landed right on the $1200 mark.
Questions: will 550W be enough for this, even if I were to ever double-up on the vid card? (will also have a WD Caviar Green 1TB HDD in there, maybe 2)
Will I regret going with the 1333 RAM when the motherboard supports 1866?
Does Gigabyte make a respectable GTX460?
You might regret the ram choice if you're overclocking. DDR3-1600 is cheap these days.
Any reason you're hot for a BD-ROM?
Antec EarthWatts EA750 750W
Antec Nine Hundred
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.480354
Price After Mail-In Rebate(s): $139.94 (159 before rebate)
No reason on the BD ROM. I can save $40-45 with just a DVD/CD RW drive.
Still waffling over the RAM. The motherboard doesn't give lots of room between stick 1 and the CPU. Lots of RAM says it's designed for intel setups, but can be used for AMD... yet reviews say otherwise.
What causes problems is RAM with too-tall heatspreaders. The OCZ Gold stuff you've found shouldn't have any problems with clearances.
Or you could drop the 600W for a 700w ModX for 129.98$ with the Beta EVO, plus there is a 20$ mail in for the PSU.